Alternative Energy
Solutions for Alabama
Production of Second-Generation
Biofuels from Alabama Resources
October 24 2006
WHO WE ARE
Gas Technology Institute
> GTI’s mission is to be the leader in the
development and deployment of
technology solutions that contribute to a
secure, abundant, and affordable energy
future.
– An independent,
501c (3)
not-for-profit
Serving the Energy Industry Since 1941
> Over 1,000 patents
> Nearly 500 products commercialized
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Facilities & Staff
> Main Facility: 18 acre
campus near Chicago
– Over 200,000 ft2 of
laboratory space
– 28 specialized laboratories
and facilities
> Approximately Flex-Fuel
250 employees Test Facility
– 70% are
scientists Offices
and engineers & Labs
Energy & Environmental Technology Center
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Strategic Account
GTI Locations Management
Needham, MA (NGA)
Headquarters Washington
Des Plaines, IL Operations
(a suburb of Washington, DC
Chicago)
California
Project
Development
Specialist
Folsom, CA
GTI/Catoosa Drilling
Test Facility Process Research
Catoosa, OK and Evaluation
(near Tulsa) Group
Houston Office Birmingham, AL
Sugar Land, TX
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The Fully Integrated Biorefinery
An effective integrated
biorefinery must
include biological and
thermochemical
conversion
Maximize efficiency of
biomass (and land)
utilization by
producing fuels
thermochemically and
biologically
Source: 2005 DOE OBP Bi-Annual Peer Review (Nov 14-16, 2005), Dr. Richard Bain 5
Thermal Conversion Options Are
Important to Biofuels Production Goals
> Integrated biorefinery benefits from
thermal conversion of ‘byproducts’
> “2nd-generation biofuels” : thermal
conversion has potential for significantly
greater production efficiency of biofuels
than fermentation
> Two thermal options from biomass:
– Syngas intermediate F-T, alcohols, DME
– Bio-oil intermediate syngas or direct
refining/hydrotreating
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Thermochemical Conversion Routes
Source: OBP Multi-Year Program Plan 2007-2012 (August 31, 2005) 7
Biomass-to-Liquids via Fischer-Tropsch
Gasification is a key conversion process
Source: H. Boerittger, Economy of Biomass-to-Liquid Plants (May 2006): ECN-C-06-019 8
GTI Experience in Gasification
Technologies
STEAM-IRON-H2
HYGAS-SNG
U-GAS-Syngas
RENUGAS-Syngas
Mild-GAS-Coal-refining
Leader of International Energy Agency Task 33 - Biomass Gasification
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Proprietary Fluidized Bed Gasifier
HOT PRODUCT GAS
GASIFICATION
REACTOR
> Unique biomass gasification
CYCLONE technology developed for:
BIOMASS
– A wide a range of fuels including
agriculture and forest resources
– Scalable to all necessary sizes
– Multiple process applications
FEED HOPPER
> Many years of development and
FLUIDIZED BED optimization at GTI
> Demonstrated at commercial scale by
FEEDING SCREW
GRID
Carbona
AIR
> High-value syngas production possible
ASH REMOVAL – Combined heat and power
SCREW
– High-efficiency electric power
ASH – Hydrogen and/or liquid fuels
– Co-production
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Fluidized-Bed
Gasifier
Scale-up Projects
100 ton per day Bioenergy Demo Plant in
Hawaii using bagasse
80 ton per day Gasification Pilot
Plant in Tampere, Finland using
biomass & coal
1000 ton per day U-GAS® Industrial fuel gas in
Shanghai, China using coal
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Skive, Denmark
Combined Heat & Power PROJECT
• Pelletized wood fuel
• 165 tons/day fuel feed, max.
• 20 MWth for 5.5 MWe + 11.5 MW district heat
• GTI fluidized bed gasifier – 3 gas engines, 2
boilers
• International show case: DOE, EU, DEA- subsidy
for the project
STATUS of PROJECT
• Ground breaking took place in April 2005
• Engineering and procurement for gasification plant by Carbona
• Plant starting operation in fall 2006
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GTI’s Flex-Fuel Test Facility
> Flexible fuel
capability
> Operational
flexibility
> Plug and play
systems
integration and
testing
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Flex-Fuel Test Facility Capabilities
Features
• Coal – 10 tpd w/air; 17 tpd w/oxygen
• Biomass – 24 tpd w/air; 40 tpd w/oxygen
• Opportunity Fuels & Dual Fuel Operation
• On-line Syngas Analysis Systems
Integrated Process Evaluations
• Advanced Fuel Feeding Systems
• Syngas Cleanup Systems
• CO2 Capture Technologies
• Syngas-to-Liquids Production
• Advanced Power Conversion Systems
• Hydrogen Production
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GTI Gasification and Gas Processing
> Highly experienced senior staff
> GTI gasification and gas conditioning know-how
(licenses and commercial projects)
> Flex-Fuel Test Facility
> Laboratory facilities – fuel reactivity, gasification, gas
contaminant removal, catalysts performance,
membrane permeation and stability, solvent
properties, high-volume gas test loop …
We are a performing RD&D organization, from concept
origination to real-world application.
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Collaboration Opportunities
> Develop an Alabama thermal conversion R&D facility
– Syngas generation, conditioning and catalysis systems
– GTI has done similar projects:
> at Ajou University, Korea
> at Industrial Technology Research Institute, Taiwan
> Participate in new GTI project for AL resource
conversion to biofuels
– Pretreatment, gasification and pyrolysis conversion
technologies for AL biomass materials
> Partner on scale-up projects at GTI R&D facilities
– e.g., sabbatical & graduate work in bioenergy R&D
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